Sonshine in the Dark


Book Description

By the great mercies of God, with the help of the Holy Spirit, this is the story of my life--a terrifying yet wonderful life. I just wanted to share it with people so that they would know life is unpredictable, but it is possible to make it through no matter what comes at you. Each day I learn to trust in Jesus more and more, knowing life has many ups and downs. And someday, the Son will shine forever. "You Lord are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord's word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him" Samuel 22:29-31 (NIV).




Sunshine in the Dark


Book Description

Florida has been the location and subject of hundreds of feature films, from Cocoanuts (1929) to Monster (2004). Portraying the state and its people from the silent era to the present, these films have explored the multitude of Florida images and cliches that have captured the public's imagination--a nature lover's paradise, a wildlife refuge, a tourist destination, home to the "cracker," and a haven for the retired, the rich, the immigrant, and the criminal. Sunshine in the Dark is the first complete study of how the movie industry has immortalized Florida’s extraordinary scenery, characters, and history on celluloid. Historians Fernández and Ingalls have identified more than 300 films about Florida--many of them shot on location in the state--to analyze how filmmakers from the Marx Brothers and John Huston to Oliver Stone and Francis Ford Coppola have portrayed the state and its people. Prior to the 1960s, cinematic trips to Florida usually brought happy endings in movies like Moon Over Miami (1942), but since the 1970s, films like Scarface (1982) have emphasized the state's menacing aspects. In the authors' analysis of the films, which examines location settings, plotlines, and characters, they find a bevy of Florida stereotypes among the leading characters--from the struggling crackers in The Yearling (1946) to the drug-addicted con man in Adaptation (2002). Featuring more than 100 still photographs from movies, as well as filmographies by year and genre, the book is an encyclopedic resource for movie fans and anyone interested in Florida popular culture.




Sunshine in the Dark


Book Description

‘All my knowledge, thoughts and memories are crystal clear, and I know that, in seven days, I’ll have left this sunlit, moonlit world, together with all my earthly senses, and be truly dead – whatever that should mean.’ (P.1) So begins the fascinating history of a remarkable cat, Toby, and his family, both two-legged and four-legged, told during the transitional period between life and death. He has had a such rich life, a blessed one full of love, that he decides use the time he has left to tell his story, from his first days in a pet shop to his dignified death. It is a story of love, connection between the species, adventure and escapades, wisdom and insight, sorrow and triumphs. It brings its audience into a tightly knit community, offering quirky but perceptive insights on wisdom, trust and vulnerability, and posing questions about the concepts of humanity and brutishness. Sunshine in the Dark will intrigue, delight and amuse, and bring tears to the eyes of readers. Like Toby’s life, it’s an exceptional read and a lasting memory of a special cat. ‘For anyone who has ever felt the profoundly painful loss of a beloved pet, Vivian Bi’s beautifully moving Sunshine in the Dark offers solace, shared grief and indeed, ‘sunshine’. – Kristina Vesk OAM, Chief Executive Officer, The Cat Protection Society of NSW Limited




In the Not Quite Dark


Book Description

Following her prize–winning collection Break Any Woman Down, Dana Johnson returns with a collection of bold stories set mostly in downtown Los Angeles that examine large issues –love, class, race – and how they influence and define our most intimate moments. In "The Liberace Museum," a mixed–race couple leave the South toward the destination of Vegas, crossing miles of road and history to the promised land of consumption; in "Rogues," a young man on break from college lands in his brother's Inland Empire neighborhood during a rash of unexplained robberies; in "She Deserves Everything She Gets," a woman listens to the strict advice given to her spoiled niece about going away to college, reflecting on her own experience and the night she lost her best friend; and in the collection's title story, a man setting down roots in downtown L.A. is haunted by the specter of both gentrification and a young female tourist, whose body was found in the water tower of a neighboring building. With deep insight into character, intimate relationships, and the modern search for personal freedom, In the Not Quite Dark is powerful new work that feels both urgent and timeless.




Black Sunshine


Book Description

A standalone contemporary dark romance with a vampire twist, from the New York Times bestselling author of A Nordic King and Sins & Needles All Lenore Warwick wants for her 21st birthday is to hang out with her friends, finish her second year at Berkeley with flying colors, and maybe catch the eye of a hot musician playing a show at a club that she can now (legally) get into.Unfortunately, fate has other plans for her.A week before her birthday, she's kidnapped by the brooding and dangerous stranger with cold eyes and a lethal touch, who has been stalking her on San Francisco's fog-shrouded streets. Absolon Stavig isn't your average criminal though. He's a centuries-old vampire who's caught between wanting to kill Lenore and wanting to save her.You see Lenore, too, is a vampire.She just doesn't know it yet.Taken by a pair of vampire slayers when she was just an infant, Lenore was raised never knowing her true nature. All Lenore knows is that she has (normal) parents who love her, that she's exceptionally smart, and she's squeamish around blood. But once she turns twenty-one, she'll fully turn into a vampire, and Solon hopes he'll be there to guide her, opening her eyes to her deepest hunger...both sexual and otherwise.But this turning can't be kept a secret. Soon both slayers and vampires are hunting Lenore, with only Solon and his unpredictable motley crew of vampires to save her.If they don't kill her first.Black Sunshine is a dark adult standalone romance with a paranormal twist, about sex, love, secrets, and revenge, set in contemporary San Francisco. CONTENT WARNING: as a vampire romance with a sexy bite, it features blood, blood play, cutting, bondage, and scenes of dubious consent




Sunshine In The Darkness


Book Description

in my book, I explore mental health issues, spirituality and some mindfulness, drawing on my experience and research. I'm offering a holistic approach to healing and growth that has worked for me and can work for anyone with the correct determination. I begin by examining the stigma and challenges of mental health with ways to cope and how spirituality can provide a supportive framework for self-care, self-acceptance and connection to something greater than yourself. I delve into various spiritual principles that I have found helpful, including meditation, love and self-love, and how they can complement and enhance traditional mental health treatments. Throughout the book, I emphasise the importance of taking a kind and individualised approach to mental health and spirituality, encouraging the reader to explore their beliefs, mind and experiences without fear - you're never alone.




Make Your Own Sunshine


Book Description

The New York Times bestselling author and Fox News senior meteorologist Janice Dean returns with more inspiring stories of people who know how to find light in dark times. While the news is filled with villains and villainy, we do see a few famous heroes now and again. But what about the everyday heroes? The people going out of their way bring a little love into someone else's life? They deserve a time in the spotlight to inspire us all. Life can be tough—but it helps to know other people have come through hard times with a smile on their face. In Make Your Own Sunshine, Janice Dean shares inspiring stories that will lift your spirit and touch your heart. Good people are all around us doing selfless deeds, from a firefighter who bravely battled for his colleague’s health after 9/11 to a good Samaritan who secretly pays for the coffees of everyone in line behind him. You can’t help but smile reading about the teacher who cut her hair to make her student feel better. And you may shed a tear when you hear the story of the dad who never missed writing a napkin note for his daughter, including stashing extra notes in case he lost his batter with cancer. From a young man who makes bow ties for dogs waiting to be adopted to an Uber driver who brightened a new mom’s day by helping her buy baby clothes, the heroes in this story will warm your heart and stick in your mind. Janice has made it her mission to uncover and document these good stories to inspire us and gives us a much-needed boost of optimism. All we have to do is open our minds and our hearts, to look for the light on a cloudy day. Because as she reminds us, if we don’t make our own sunshine—who will?




From the Dark Shadows of Life into the Son-Shine of Love


Book Description

Bill Cicansky highlights the trials, tribulations, and tears he faced when he turned his back on Jesus and allowed Satan to take over his life in this autobiography. Although he now lives in the Son-shine of our Lord Jesus Christ, he suffered many dark days, including stints in prison. While he married, he and his wife, Illona, went through thirteen separations and reconciliations. Despite their trials and tribulations, they never stopped loving each other and will soon celebrate sixty years together. They had to learn to be more patient with one another, as the Lord is patient and long-suffering with all of us. They had to learn to be more tender, as He is tender with us. They had to learn to express more love for each other, as He expresses His love to all of us—and so much more. Join the author as he reveals how he survived a life filled with trials, troubles, and tears—and what led him to go back to Jesus, plant roots for three Baptist churches, and become a missionary to the Jewish people.




Welcome, Sonshine


Book Description

What a privilege it is to welcome a grandchild! During the pandemic, we received a double blessing in 2020--a granddaughter and a grandson. Welcome, Sonshine is a celebration of God's divine gifts: children. There is a big celebration every time a child is born, and every arrival is a "big to-do" in heaven and on earth! Welcome, Sonshine reinforces that God created each child with love and He has a plan for his or her life. Children are reminded how special they are and how much they are loved. I'm sure you have noticed that Sonshine is misspelled; the spelling is intentional. Sonshine represents the light of the world--Jesus, the Son of God. This glow comes from heaven and it is an everlasting light that will never end.




The Blood is Love


Book Description

From the fog-shrouded bay of San Francisco to the dark cobblestone streets of Helsinki and all the hidden places in-between, The Blood is Love takes the reader on a sensual and twisted journey deep into Lenore and Solon's lush vampire world in this thrilling sequel to Black Sunshine. When Lenore Warwick turned twenty-one, she expected lots of bar-hopping, parties with friends, and the occasional hookup. What she got was the realization that she's both a witch and a vampire, and that there are things in this world that want her dead. Thank god she has her enigmatic vampire lover, Absolon Stavig, to help show her the ropes. But while Lenore struggles to fit into her new topsy turvy world, full of blood, sex, and magic, she also has to contend with her messy and complicated love for a vampire who isn't always what he seems. To make matters worse, her real father, Jeremias, a powerful warlock from the dark side, has professed an interest in her, while Solon's father, the depraved vampire king Skarde, is intent on destroying everything she loves. When Solon and Lenore have to travel to Finland to work alongside Solon's charming and vicious brother, Kaleid, in an attempt to defeat Skarde once and for all, the two of them enter a bloody new world that neither of them are prepared for. Even if their love survives the carnage to come, the chances of them getting out of there alive are slim. Good thing they like to take their chances.